I've played a lot of Mega Man content this year, so what better way to satiate my love for this series than trying out some Mega Man-like games, and the one that caught my eye the most was Gravity Circuit. Developed by Domesticated Ant Games, the game centers around Kai, an amnesiac lone hero who harnesses the power of the Gravity Circuit and has awakened only to discover that the eight guardians who were previously protectors have joined the opposing Virus Army. He now must fight his old allies from wreaking more havoc and save the world with some assistance from Kernel of the Guardian Corps and the eccentric Nega. Kai will eventually regain his memories as he takes down more of his former allies, giving us glimpses into their dynamics and how they used to cooperate as a team. I found the other characters to be interesting when interacting with them in the headquarters, and it does a good job with characterization. The story isn't entirely original or complex, but I don't think it needs to be for a fun 2D action platformer like this, and I was satisfied with how the story was told.
What matters most in a game like Gravity Circuit is having fast and smooth gameplay that provides an enjoyable experience to the player and encourages replayability, and let me tell you, they've delivered. The game is sort of a hybrid between an action platformer and a beat 'em-up; Kai doesn't have a special weapon equipped at all times but instead relies on melee attacks, depending on the directional inputs. He can dash and also grab enemies and chuck them like they're yesterday's garbage, it's great. Kai has a grappling hook perfect for swinging through ceilings, but can also be used to reach far-items and attack enemies. It's a nifty tool for speeding past obstacles and incorporating it into your move set, using the skills you've learned and using that as an advantage towards the enemies and level design.
Kai has access to passive circuits that can fine-tune his abilities, like giving him a double jump and grip through walls without sliding down. Some of these enhancements are fun to use, and it was worth utilizing my skills to save all the civilians to purchase these abilities. He also has access to purchase burst techniques that are tied to a Burst action with a directional button press. I feel a sense of satisfaction when executing properly against a major but be mindful of these powerful moves as you're limited to how many times you can use them before they need recharging. Still, firing a powerful punch and sending a shockwave is cool to pull off and naturally fulfilling.
The levels are fun to traverse as I love using the environment to my advantage and uncover secrets that I've missed, and it's made better with quality-of-life features. In Gravity Circuit, spikes and bottomless pits don't equate to instant death like in the Mega Man games, rather it sends you back to the checkpoint or to the platform you've failed to overcome previously. It provides accessibility that doesn't interfere with the pacing while still giving the player a challenge, and the final few levels remind me of that. I would say the only flaw I have with Gravity Circuit is the headquarters, because outside of interacting with people and buying upgrades from the shop, there isn't much to do outside of that, but this is just minor.
Gravity Circuit is a damn good time. The visual presentation is top-notch, the animation and controls are fluid and snappy, the music is a jam, and I like how the characters and plot were told. This is one of the best platformers to come out this year, and if you love Mega Man X, this is a must recommend.
What matters most in a game like Gravity Circuit is having fast and smooth gameplay that provides an enjoyable experience to the player and encourages replayability, and let me tell you, they've delivered. The game is sort of a hybrid between an action platformer and a beat 'em-up; Kai doesn't have a special weapon equipped at all times but instead relies on melee attacks, depending on the directional inputs. He can dash and also grab enemies and chuck them like they're yesterday's garbage, it's great. Kai has a grappling hook perfect for swinging through ceilings, but can also be used to reach far-items and attack enemies. It's a nifty tool for speeding past obstacles and incorporating it into your move set, using the skills you've learned and using that as an advantage towards the enemies and level design.
Kai has access to passive circuits that can fine-tune his abilities, like giving him a double jump and grip through walls without sliding down. Some of these enhancements are fun to use, and it was worth utilizing my skills to save all the civilians to purchase these abilities. He also has access to purchase burst techniques that are tied to a Burst action with a directional button press. I feel a sense of satisfaction when executing properly against a major but be mindful of these powerful moves as you're limited to how many times you can use them before they need recharging. Still, firing a powerful punch and sending a shockwave is cool to pull off and naturally fulfilling.
The levels are fun to traverse as I love using the environment to my advantage and uncover secrets that I've missed, and it's made better with quality-of-life features. In Gravity Circuit, spikes and bottomless pits don't equate to instant death like in the Mega Man games, rather it sends you back to the checkpoint or to the platform you've failed to overcome previously. It provides accessibility that doesn't interfere with the pacing while still giving the player a challenge, and the final few levels remind me of that. I would say the only flaw I have with Gravity Circuit is the headquarters, because outside of interacting with people and buying upgrades from the shop, there isn't much to do outside of that, but this is just minor.
Gravity Circuit is a damn good time. The visual presentation is top-notch, the animation and controls are fluid and snappy, the music is a jam, and I like how the characters and plot were told. This is one of the best platformers to come out this year, and if you love Mega Man X, this is a must recommend.